Perspectives
by gluegirl56
Summary: Just a little tag, or missing scene actually, to 'Dead Reckoning'. What happened the moment Gerry and Geoff were found till Kate limped into the hospital on crutches? Gerry's, Geoff's and Kate's thoughts about the incident and a little team bonding ;) I hope you enjoy the story!


**The Flying Doctors – Perspectives**

 _/Just a short tag to 'Dead Reckoning'. I know it ended with Kate limping in on crutches at the hospital but I need to start a little earlier in order for this to make sense./_

 **Chapter One – The Rescue**

Captain Gerry O'Neill held his breath as Geoff prepared for the surgery. He had been warned that situations like this could arise and that he might need to help the doctors and nurses more than what was originally expected of him as a pilot. However, this was ridiculous. He certainly hadn't considered the fact that he'd be flying with a madman in the seat next tom him, cradling a gun and a bag full of money. Nor had he expected to be stranded in the middle of nowhere and forced to assist in surgery. He wasn't squeamish, he didn't faint at the sight of blood, but to sit next to a surgeon carving into a woman's arm wasn't something he wanted to do. The mere mention of it made him blanch.

He strained his ears as he thought he heard a faint noise in the distance, his hopes rising as he identified it as the sound of spinning rotor blades. He bolted from the chair and ran out of the aircraft, hoping to spot the approaching helicopter and cried out in joy as he saw it draw near.

"They're here!" The pilot shouted in relief to the doctor.

Doctor Geoffrey Standish broke into a wide grin as he felt the tension and worry for his wife begin to leave him. "She made it," he deduced cunningly. There simply was no other way anyone could have found them this quick if she hadn't told them where to look.

His patient blinked her tired eyes open and smiled at him before drifting back into her uneasy slumber. He suddenly felt like a jerk as he saw her fighting back the pain that the injury was causing her. "You're going to be all right," he said softly, his voice full of assurance as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

Exhaustion suddenly seemed to overcome the doctor as he gently leaned back in the seat next to her and briefly closed his eyes. Gathering himself he then straightened and craned his neck to look out through the closest cabin window.

Gerry was leaning into the cabin of the helicopter, talking into the headphones, as the rotor blades began to wind down.

Geoff cast a glance at his dozing patient and then gently slipped out of the aircraft.

OOOOOO

" _Are you all right?"_ Claire's soft, yet worried, voice carried over the radio.

"We're fine," Gerry assured her. "But Geoff's dialysis patient is not fairing too well."

" _What happened Gerry?"_ Tom's voice came on the air.

"I'll let you talk to Geoff, he's coming over," the pilot said as he saw the doctor coming his way.

Slightly disappointed not to see his wife in the chopper Geoff took the transceiver in his hand. "It's Geoff here, Tom," he said in steady voice.

" _Geoff, we thought you'd crashed at first when the Nomad's beacon began to transmit, then Kate called in,"_ he explained.

"Have you talked to her? Is she safe?" Geoff asked.

" _She assured us she's fine and urged the helicopter to go and find you_ ," Tom replied.

Geoff nodded in relief and cast a glance back toward the stranded Nomad. "Thank heavens," he whispered. "Listen, Tom. There was a struggle for the radio between the captor and my patient. She damaged her arm. I can't wait more than an hour and a half, tops, to correct it. I was preparing to do so here with minor surgery."

" _Understood,"_ Tom said seriously. _"Can she be flown back with the helicopter if we have everything prepped for you?"_

Geoff thought for a moment and watched the two pilots conferring over a map as he made a quick calculation in his head, deducing for and against the move. "I'd rather not move her. She's in a pretty bad shape," he replied. "Stand by for a second Tom." The doctor turned to the two pilots. "How long would it take to get the Nomad airworthy?"

Gerry shrugged. "If I can borrow the helicopter's battery it shouldn't take more than ten minutes," he replied. "But I can't guarantee the radio is working. It's safer for you, if problem arises, to take the chopper and come back for me."

Geoff pursed his lips into thin line of displeasure then shook his head. "I can't risk moving her around and the helicopter is much slower. Besides, if I need to work on the arm during transit-"

Gerry sighed and turned to the helicopter pilot.

"I'll give you a hand," he offered.

The Nomad endorsed pilot nodded and headed back toward the aircraft.

"Tom, are you still there?" Geoff asked.

" _I'm here, Geoff. What's going on?"_

"We're going to use the Nomad and leave the helicopter here but Gerry is not sure he can get the radio working-"

" _May I remind you that against regulations to fly without a radio and, in your case, without a distress beacon,"_ Claire said worriedly. _"What if something happen? There will be no way to contact you."_

"In my opinion that's best for the patient. I'll take full responsibility," Geoff cut her short.

"It's not yours to take, Geoff," Gerry said softly as he appeared next to him, having come back from the aircraft, although his expression clearly showed he didn't like it.

A moment of silence passed before Gerry spoke into the chopper's co-pilot's headset. "Claire, its Gerry. We'll have to do the best of the situation. Give me a weather report while I take out the course. I estimate the flight to take roughly 55 minutes, give or take some depending on the winds and other factors. Give flight control all the facts you can and I'll fill in the rest as I get back. We're short on time as it is," he said.

Geoff gently squeezed his shoulder. "Thanks Gerry," he whispered.

"Don't thank me just yet," he mumbled sullenly as he imagined the trouble he would get with the department.

OOOOOO

Kate sighed and winced as she sat down next to Madden. The man was still clutching the briefcase full of money. "It's over," she whispered wearily and glanced back at the broken aircraft where the sick pilot still lay draped over the yoke. He was not in any immediate danger and there was nothing she could do for him at the moment, she had to wait until the police car diverted from Barradong arrived to help.

She sighed in exasperation as she imagined the long drive back to Cooper's Crossing in the back of the patrol car, caught between the two men that had kidnapped her. She glanced at the aircraft again and smiled bitterly, at least she was still alive and doing well, all things considered. It could have ended much worse. Her thoughts went back to her husband, Gerry and the patient back in the Nomad. She prayed it wasn't too late to save the arm and that nothing else had happened.

OOOOOO

Tom got out of the car just as the ambulance pulled up at the airfield. He squinted and raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, hoping to spot the Nomad in the clear blue sky. Slightly worried he glanced at his wristwatch. Gerry had said 55 minutes and that was over an hour ago.

Ten minutes later one of the paramedics pointed toward a small speck of white coming toward them from the south. Tom willed for it to be his colleagues, it had been troublesome enough to lose contact with them once during the day. He smiled as the small white speck in the sky grew larger as it came closer and morphed into the familiar silhouette of the Nomad. Relieved Tom picked up the radio to call back to the base. "Mobil One to Victor Charlie Charlie," he said and then, without waiting for a reply, he added. "Claire, they're coming in now."

" _Victor Charlie Charlie receiving you, Tom,"_ the radio operator answered jovially and clearly relieved. _"That's good to know. David and Annie are standing by at the hospital, awaiting your arrival."_

"We'll be there shortly," he assured her, trying to be heard over the noise of the Nomad's turboprops.

The aircraft came to a halt only a few meters behind him and the paramedics immediately met up to help with the patient. Tom knew he wasn't needed but he wanted to come to see for himself that his friends and colleagues got back safely.

"Geoff," he called as he spotted the fellow doctor. "They're ready for you at the hospital."

The other doctor nodded at him and gave him a curt smile before he disappeared into the ambulance with his patient.

As the patient was whisked away the forward door of the aircraft slowly opened but no one came out.

Tom walked up to the pilot who was leaning back in his chair, gently massaging his forehead.

"Rough day," Tom asked with a kind smile.

Gerry chuckled bitterly as he removed his hands from his face. "I wish I'd never got up this morning," he said in a subdued voice. "Is someone bringing out a battery to the poor helicopter pilot?"

"Don't you worry about that," Tom assured him. "Just get out of there and I'll drive you back to Cooper's Crossing."

"I wish it were that simple," he mused wearily. "I need to do a complete survey of the aircraft and then I need to fuel her up in case there's an emergency. When I'm done with that I need to file a report-"

"Get out of there, mate," a jovial voice hollered.

Gerry frowned as he spotted one of the mechanics from Broken Hill that used to help him out occasionally. "I know how to fill her up and check for damage. From what I hear you could do with a beer or two."

"See?" Tom said cunningly.

Gerry shook his head at the doctor and slowly swung his legs over the side and jumped out of the aircraft. "What are you really doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm looking after a colleague," the doctor said as he gently patted the pilot on the back.

Gerry narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion but said nothing as he began to walk toward the car. Opening the front passenger door he paused for a moment. "How's Kate?" the pilot asked. "I am amazed that charter pilot could even take off in his condition."

"She's on her way back to Crossing with the police squad from Barradong. She assured me she was fine. She was more concerned about you guys," Tom replied seriously.

Gerry got into the car and ran a tired hand through his thick brown hair as he glanced out the window. "They must have crashed," he deduced darkly.

Getting behind the wheel Tom turned to look at him for a moment but said nothing.

They rode in silence the rest of the way, with Tom casting surreptitious glances at his weary colleague. The pilot was exhausted but seemed to be in a fairly good mood all things considered. Tom involuntarily shuddered at the thought of being hijacked by that madman and forced to fly under gunpoint. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like. The doctor was just glad Madden had decided to take out the Nomad and not its pilot as they tried to leave the country.

OOOOOO

Kate shuddered involuntarily as the man she'd come to know as Doug Holland leaned into her, his eyes glazed and confused. He mumbled something unintelligible and then turned quiet.

"Straighten up back there," the officer up front hollered in annoyance.

Kate swallowed. "He's not doing it on purpose," she explained as she forced herself to perform a quick check up on the man and, at the same time, gently forced him away from her lap.

"Sr. Standish. I should not have allowed you to come with us," the policeman said sharply albeit with a kind undertone. "If it had been me I would have let the bastard suffer."

Kate sighed. Truth was that she hadn't been too keen on coming, but it was either that or to wait for the chopper pilot to get the machine going. "Someone needs to have a look at him during transit," she reasoned.

"Then you should at least have let me sit in the back," the officer protested.

"I'll be fine," she replied kindly. "But he needs hospitalization."

"I should never have hired him," Madden muttered dourly as he turned to stare at the nurse sitting on the other side of Holland.

He was glaring at her, obviously blaming her for the bust and everything else that had happened in the last couple of hours.

Kate sagged against the headrest and closed her eyes briefly, wishing it to be a nightmare and that it would be over soon. The mix of fear and adrenaline that kept her on her toes had long left her body and she felt only pain and stiffness from various joints and muscles. Her kneecap protested even the slightest movement so she had long since given up trying to shift into a more comfortable position in her seat.

She longed for her husband, to feel his arms around her and to hear his reassuring words that everything would be fine. She wished Gerry had never spotted the missing aircraft, she wished Tom had never asked them to check up on the man. But she knew, deep down, that it had been the right thing to do, it was all part of the service.

Kate was a strong woman and not one to break easily but, as she opened her eyes and glanced out through the window, a faint tear spilled on her cheek. Everything was catching up with her, she was unable to stop it any longer. "Geoff," she whispered, barely audible.

OOOOOO

 **Chapter Two – Homecoming**

"Gerry!" Nancy exclaimed softly, her voice full of concern, as the pilot walked through the door with Tom in tow. "Are you all right?"

He chuckled bitterly as he walked through the pub and then turned around the corner to head upstairs. "I'm fine," he assured her curtly.

She made to follow him but Tom gently placed a hand on her arm. "Leave him alone, Nancy," he cautioned softly.

"But," she protested. "He's upset."

Tom sighed as he thoughtfully ran a hand over his chin. "We deal with things differently.

Right now, I think Gerry needs to be alone. He's got a few things to sort out, but he'll be fine."

OOOOOO

"Okay," Geoff said with satisfaction as he admired his handiwork. "I think that'll do. I'll leave the rest in your capable hands."

Annie nodded. "I'll take care of her and have her transferred to recovery," she said softly.

David waited for him at the door and gave him a tightlipped smile as he disposed of the surgical gloves and mask. "It's good to have you back," the younger doctor said. "We were worried back there for a while."

Geoff eyed him wearily as a cautious wry grin settled on his crocked lips. He shook his head and reached for the pendulum door that lead to the corridor. "Me too," he admitted.

"Geoff," David called after him as he continued down the corridor. "We've just heard from the police. They're on their way here with Kate and the charter pilot." He cast a quick glance at his wristwatch. "They should be here within the hour."

"Thanks' David, I appreciate it," the department head said softly, seemingly deep in thought. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

OOOOOO

Geoff waited anxiously outside the entrance to the hospital. It was the third time he'd ran a hand through his thick blond hair.

Tom watched his successor with a wry smirk on his lips and casually crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to his colleague. "She'll be here soon," he assured the other doctor gently.

Geoff sighed and relaxed his pose somewhat. "I know. And I realize I must seem a bit overprotective-"

Tom shook his head with a smile. "I'd say your reaction is pretty normal considering the fact that a very sick man kidnapped your wife and tried to leave the country," he said kindly. "Besides, you've had a rough day too. We began to fear the worst when we couldn't reach you."

"At the time I was focused. I used the patient as a distraction so as not to think about Kate or my own predicament but in the end I failed miserably and, if help hadn't arrived when it did-" Geoff trailed off, his voice serious as he turned to face his colleague. "-I don't think I would have been able to do the operation."

"Yes, you would," Tom answered quickly without hesitation.

Geoff was about to say something when the Barradong police car suddenly came around the corner. He forgot what he'd been about to say as his wife limped out of the car with a genuine warm smile. He instantly closed the small distance between them and took her into his arms, embracing her like there was no tomorrow. He never wanted to let her go. "I'm so glad to see you," he whispered.

She chuckled softly in relief, tightening her grip around him. "I was so scared," she said, her voice barely audible. "I kept thinking it was all a nightmare."

He said nothing, there was nothing he could say to make it better, instead he held her tight and briefly closed his eyes.

Tom cast a glance over his shoulder at the pair as he followed the orderlies and the gurney, carrying the charter pilot, inside the hospital. He couldn't help but to remember the time when he and Chris had been that close. There had been dozens of times in Africa when he'd longed for her, questioning his decision to leave, but he'd been proud and stubborn – maybe too stubborn for his own good. Tom forced his attention back at the present and began his examination of the man that had tried to leave the country with a criminal and a briefcase full of money.

OOOOOO

Gerry felt lethargic as he gingerly stripped out of his shirt and collapsed on the bed. The day's events was playing out before him as he closed his eyes. The man pointing a gun at him, forcing him to fly to a disused airstrip in the middle of nowhere, the kidnapping of Kate, and then the horrible wait for help as Geoff started to prepare surgery onboard the Nomad.

A soft knock on the door abruptly brought him out of his mulling and he opened his eyes just in time to see Chris popping her head inside his dimly lit room. "There you are," she said kindly. "Everyone is waiting for you downstairs to celebrate."

"I think you'll do fine without me," he replied wearily, feeling exposed all of a sudden.

"Even Kate is there, despite Geoff's protests," she offered lightly as she walked into the room.

Gerry gingerly sat up in bed. "How is she?" he asked in concern.

Chris sighed. "Well, she's twisted her knee and received some bumps and bruises but other than that she's doing fine," the doctor explained and then kindly added. "How are you doing?"

"I wasn't injured," he said.

"Maybe not," she said carefully as she sat down next to him. "But you've been through something not many pilots have."

Their eyes met for a moment, his dark and hers full of concern. Then he broke into a somewhat amused expression, his lips gently curling upwards to form the faintest of smiles. "Well, I certainly didn't see it coming as I applied for the job," he offered lightly.

Chris smiled at him. "Come on, let's grab something to eat," she suggested as she carefully picked up the discarded shirt from the floor and handed it to him. "For the team, Gerry. When you signed on to that contract you became one of us and we're here to take care of you, whether you want it or not."

The pilot broke into a genuine albeit tired grin for the first time since before the incident. "You can be quite persuasive," he smirked as he shrugged into the shirt and knelt down to tie his shoelaces.

Chris dared a quick peek outside the corridor through the semi-open door only to see Tom doing the thumbs up as he slipped by.

A few minutes later the whole gang was seated at a private round table in the furthest corner of the dining area, tired and weary, but most of all glad to be alive. The day was one of those days that was to be remembered for the rest of their lives, a story that would spread around the area, a tale to be told by the locals for a long time to come.

OOOOOO

The end

 _A/N: I haven't forgotten my other stories but I'm stuck so have a little patience and there will be more to come. For now, I hope you've enjoyed reading this little tag._


End file.
